Nexus 4

This was the year the Nexus phone got beautiful and affordable at the same time

Named appropriately to its generation, Google released the fourth Nexus device as the Nexus 4. Like the three previous Nexus devices the Nexus 4 was created in conjunction with a manufacturer partner, and this time it was LG's turn. Though the decision to go with LG wasn't universally loved prior to release, the Nexus 4 turned out to be one of the best-built and well-designed Nexuses to date, and it was no surprise that LG was selected again to make the Nexus 5 a year later.

The Nexus 4 packed a 4.7-inch 768 x 1280 display with brilliantly-curved glass on the front and another sheet of glass on the back, which used a similar shimmering reflective pattern that LG first used on the Optimus G. It ran on a Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB of RAM, rounding out specs that weren't industry-leading, but were far above what was acceptable, particularly at the price Google set the Nexus 4 at. The Nexus 4 launched alongside Android 4.2, which brought some refinement to the platform and a few new features such as Photosphere and lockscreen widgets but wasn't as dramatic of a change as we saw with the Galaxy Nexus unveiling Ice Cream Sandwich.

Google used the Nexus 4 as a jumping-off point for selling phones directly to consumers in a real way, making previous efforts look poor in comparison. Google sold the Nexus 4 directly through Google Play for just $299 (8GB) or $349 (16GB) unlocked — a price that was generally unheard of for such an advanced device. Unfortunately the launch was scarred by terrible issues with the Play Store ordering system, and it took a couple of months for Google to iron things out and have the Nexus 4 regularly available for anyone who wanted one. In August 2013 Google cut $100 off the price of the Nexus 4 to rid its store of extra inventory before the Nexus 5 launched.

Like previous Nexus phones, the Nexus 4 brought in a new feature that Google wanted Android manufacturers to use, and in 2012 that was Qi wireless charging. The Nexus 4 used Qi after the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 (2013) both used pogo pin docks for wireless charging, and Google eventually released a first-party Charging Orb accessory in January 2013 that was meant to be used with the Nexus 4. The charger didn't have the best design ever, and was replaced only a handful of months later with a new model. Qi charging stuck around as the charging standard of choice on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 (2013), although fewer manufacturers have used it in non-Nexus phones than Google likely would have hoped.

All Nexus 4

Along with Nexus 5, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 LTE also getting new Android version
Update: The OTA file for the Wifi version of the Nexus 7 (2013) is now available. You'll find the link after the break. Get to it!
Original Story: The Nexus 5 isn't the only device getting updated to the new version...

How does last year’s Nexus shape up against this year’s entry-level champion?
Motorola’s latest entry-level handset, the Moto G, has been turning heads thanks to its relatively low price point and compelling specs and feature set. It’s a step below the Nexus 5 — the device it tied with in the “...

Device to include unique widget to showcase apps for low-vision users
Odin Mobile, a T-Mobile MVNO based in Rockville, Md., has announced that they will be selling the 16GB Nexus 4 for $329. While this is a good way for people who want a brand-new Nexus 4 to acquire one, the one from Odin Mobile...

Give your Nexus 4 some wood
There's a lot of talk about Motorola taking their sweet time to make the wood backs for the Moto X available, but if you've got a Nexus 4 and are a little bit handy you can get some wood right now.
Leland Sindt, A.K.A. proprietor of thinWood on Etsy, has designed some...

For those of you who just can't stand waiting for the Nexus 4 Android 4.4 KitKat update to roll out over the air — but who also don't have an unlocked bootloader, here's your quick path to updating.
XDA's got the manual install URLs for the update, which you can apply through adb sideload in...

238MB update brings users from 4.3 to 4.4
To end a busy day filled with updates in style, the Nexus 4 OTA to KitKat seems to have begun. We've seen several reports of users getting the new KRT16S build pushed to them this evening — which should end a lot of tension for fans.
Seeing the new build...

In what should be a pretty clear sign that an over-the-air update is coming soon, Google has posted the factory image for Android 4.4 KitKat for the Nexus 4.
Factory images are especially helpful if you bork your device playing hax0r — or if you just want an easy way to start from scratch. In the...

Yeah, yeah. The new Nexus 5 is the first with Android 4.4. But if you're sitting on one of those other Nexus devices — as in 2012's Nexus 4 and Nexus 10, and the Nexus 7 (we presume both the 2012 and 2013 versions of it), know this: You'll be getting KitKat in the coming weeks as well.
In addition...

Third-party retailers still selling the device, but no indication of how long stock will hold
Update: The Verge is reporting via a "trusted source" that this is the end of the road for the Nexus 4 in the U.S., and that no new N4 stock will be arriving.
Original story: After seeing the 8GB...

Battery cases are big. This is, of course, because they are cases that contain not just your phone, but another battery with which you will charge your phone.
And so here we give you a quick look at the Mugen Power Case for the Nexus 4. It's a big battery case — 4,500 mAh and easily double the...

See how the latest from Apple stacks up against the Nexus 4 and HTC One
It's no secret that Apple has just unveiled its latest devices, the iPhone 5s and 5c, and while our friends over at iMore dive deeper into the Apple-centric coverage we want to see how its latest device's specs stack up...

$249 16GB model still on sale; no indication that more 8GB stock is on the way
Just a handful of days after Google cut the price of the Nexus 4 by $100, the phone has once again gone out of stock on the Play Store. While many of us have flashbacks to the stocking issues that hindered the device'...

The best deal in smart phones just got better, but why is the price dropping?
Update: The official Google Play Twitter account has just confirmed the "25% off or more" sale for the Nexus 4 is active in Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Korea, US and UK.
Original story: When Google put...

It looks like that T-Mobile U.S. update advisory was right on the money. A few hours after T-Mo updated its support site with word of a security update for the Nexus 4, we're seeing signs that an update to build JWR66Y (from the earlier JWR66V) is pushing out to the Nexus 4 and (GSM) Galaxy Nexus...

JWR66Y update said to contain security fixes, checks in at 1.8MB
While it isn't the bug-fix 4.3.1 update many are wanting (welcome to the world of owning a Nexus!), T-Mobile has put up an information sheet about the JWR66Y update that they say was released today (August 20th).
We've heard rumor...

With great power comes great hideousness ...
How badly do you want to have a battery case — with a removable battery — for your Nexus 4? Or, let's ask it another way. How much ugly are you prepared to put in your pocket — assuming you have oversized pockets and they don't turn inside-out out...

Phones, tablets, computers and cameras - see what I'm using right now.
As Jerry has reminded us, it's been a while since we've taken the time to show what devices and gear we're using on a daily basis to keep the content coming to the site and when we have some down time as well. Working for...

Expansys now selling the 16GB white Nexus 4 despite no official UK launch
The white Nexus 4, that most elusive of beasts, has reared its head once more and has appeared on sale finally, properly in the UK. Despite never receiving and official British launch, online tech retailer Expansys has a...

Protect your Nexus 4's fragile exterior and pick up some style points at the same time.
The Nexus 4's design has a lot of great features, but one of them isn't durability. With big plates of glass on both sides of the device and easily scuffed plastic around the sides, we wouldn't blame you...

Owners of original Nexus 7's with sluggish performance should see a speed boost after the update
It seems that the curious case of the sluggish Nexus 7 has been solved with the inclusion of TRIM support in Android 4.3. TRIM is essentially a way for the device's software to communicate with the...

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